We've just returned from a little road trip to Florida for Thanksgiving. We left on an overcast Saturday morning with CarBunny watching over us as we drove. Here's the intersection of Lake and Locust as it looked that morning.
Some people go to AAA and get maps and triptics and all sorts of paper when they go on a trip. Which is what we did until a few years ago when I participated in a market study about Rand McNally Road Atlases. 
That's when I realized that all we need is our trusty little road atlas and nothing else. Well, maybe the GPS and a few notes on the locations of some of the outlet malls. For a longer trip, such as the one to California, it's nice to have the large Road Atlas because it gives close up detail about the major cities. We hadn't even cleared the city limits of Chicago before Peter fell asleep and Steve wanted to wake him up to tell him that Steve had spotted the first car he was going to buy for Peter when he got his driver's license: Pretty sweet, huh?
We always take along the car pillows, covered in the appropriate fabric for a road trip.
At the first stop for cheap gas in Indiana, just over the border, I found a new candy for my lemon loving son. 
Two days of driving, and we were in Palm Beach Gardens. Perfect sunny 75 degree weather. Worth the drive. I went on a short beach walk under the pretense of going to the Publix for pumpkin egg nog, whole milk, couscous and some other supplies not commonly stored in my aunt's pantry. Gotta love a beach walk in Juno Beach.
There were surfers which is something we don't have on our beach, and which gives a new depth of enjoyment to the walk.The next afternoon we went to a late lunch at Brio, and I had my favorite which I really think had pesto and sundried tomatoes on it last time, but no matter, it's always delicious: See, I can micro-blog! I suppose I could have taken the photo before I took a bite, but sorry, I was starving.
OK, lets get this show on the road. Then we went to Naples, where all my photos are of the family, but I can dig up a photo of our clams at Steamers from last year if anyone wants to see them. Mmmmm. They are just like the fried clams that Howard Johnsons used to serve in the 60s and 70s. Oh, and in both places, we bought Publix Chocolate Triple Threat Premium Ice Cream. Dark Chocolate Ice Cream with fudge ribbon
s and little fudge cups. Put some warm marshmallow topping on that and you're good to go. Yes, I gained 5 pounds on this trip. The last highlight was when Steve took my car down to "O MILES TO E" which meant that we supposedly couldn't drive one more mile without running out of gas. He'd taken it to 3 miles to E a couple of trips ago, but it turns out that at "O MILES TO E" there are still at least 10-12 miles left based on about 30 MPG. Good to know, but I wouldn't want to test it in cold weather. Take a look, and this will end our little blog journey, or journal, or whatever. 
The Invisible Wall - by Harry Bernstein is about Harry's family when they lived in England in the early part of the 20th century. The invisible wall ran down the middle of the street in one of the poorest neighborhoods of the city. The Jewish families lived on one side of the street, and the Christian families lived on the other side of the street. Harry tells such great stories. They stay with you for a long time. He also wrote another book that I've reviewed called The Dream. Who needs the cover of the book.?...There's Harry himself. He's a nonagenarian writer.
Then We Cam
e to the End - by Joshua Ferris ~ Here's a different kind of a read. First of all, it's written in the 5th person which we loved. He writes about life in an advertising office in Chicago and we grow to like and know each of his characters as if they were someone we work with and know in that way that you know people you work with. I didn't want this one to end, but of course, then we came to the end. There is a special dynamic that occurs in offices, and we now have a small regret that we never experienced life in an advertising office. Mad Men is as close as we've gotten. And we actually worked in small offices at University of Michigan, at the Sales Manufacturing Association, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago and at Kahn Realty. We've worked in large offices at Ford Motor Company and on Temp Jobs. We'd define small offices as those with two administration people such as receptionists and secretaries, and large offices as those with many secretaries, many floors and maybe even a few receptionists. Yeah, this is a good one. If you decide not to listen to us, and not read this book, then at least go to this website about the book for a laugh. Skip the Intro. We liked the video best.
Then We Cam
e to the End - by Joshua Ferris ~ Here's a different kind of a read. First of all, it's written in the 5th person which we loved. He writes about life in an advertising office in Chicago and we grow to like and know each of his characters as if they were someone we work with and know in that way that you know people you work with. I didn't want this one to end, but of course, then we came to the end. There is a special dynamic that occurs in offices, and we now have a small regret that we never experienced life in an advertising office. Mad Men is as close as we've gotten. And we actually worked in small offices at University of Michigan, at the Sales Manufacturing Association, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago and at Kahn Realty. We've worked in large offices at Ford Motor Company and on Temp Jobs. We'd define small offices as those with two administration people such as receptionists and secretaries, and large offices as those with many secretaries, many floors and maybe even a few receptionists. Yeah, this is a good one. If you decide not to listen to us, and not read this book, then at least go to this website about the book for a laugh. Skip the Intro. We liked the video best.
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